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Grange Hill in the 1990s

(July 2020)

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TV
iloveTV1
For me and most 90s kids the 90s theme is Grange Hill. Apart from when BBC2 reaired the early series in the 90s has Grange Hill ever been repeated on UK television?


It aired on a UKTV channel for six months in 1999, and one episode was repeated in 2015 on BBC Four, but nothing other than that.

It’d be huge if the BBC managed to get the rights back to all 601 episodes and repeat them all on BBC Four.
AN
Andrew Founding member
For me and most 90s kids the 90s theme is Grange Hill.

Indeed, and I find it annoying that that theme has been pretty much erased from TV history

It’s guaranteed that any time there is a Grange Hill retrospective or any item about old school days in general on TV or radio, it’s always the 80s theme that is used
JA
james-2001
The 80s theme sounded horribly dated by the 90s anyway, must have sounded even worse to the kids of 2006 when they inexplicably decided to bring it back for the final series.
KK
KolonelKlink

It’s guaranteed that any time there is a Grange Hill retrospective or any item about old school days in general on TV or radio, it’s always the 80s theme that is used


Not quite guaranteed - I raised this exact same grievance on the national radio breakfast show I worked on a while back, and we used the 90s theme instead. Happy days.
DE88, Custard56 and London Lite gave kudos
MA
Markymark
The 80s theme sounded horribly dated by the 90s anyway, must have sounded even worse to the kids of 2006 when they inexplicably decided to bring it back for the final series.


I still get an ear worm for the original theme whenever I ride on the Central Tube line, going east😎
RW
Robert Williams Founding member
Although a re-recorded version of the original theme had been used for the previous couple of years, I couldn't believe when it was ditched altogether at the start of 1990. I thought the old theme was untouchable, like Doctor Who or EastEnders, but now there was this very bland and forgettable theme instead. The 1990 series also happened to be the last series I watched.
Matt7924 and Soupnzi gave kudos
MA
Markymark
Although a re-recorded version of the original theme had been used for the previous couple of years, I couldn't believe when it was ditched altogether at the start of 1990. I thought the old theme was untouchable, like Doctor Who or EastEnders, but now there was this very bland and forgettable theme instead. The 1990 series also happened to be the last series I watched.


Then of course, there was this version (used concurrently with Grange Hill)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGMZgAhI5CY
SO
Soupnzi
Although a re-recorded version of the original theme had been used for the previous couple of years, I couldn't believe when it was ditched altogether at the start of 1990. I thought the old theme was untouchable, like Doctor Who or EastEnders, but now there was this very bland and forgettable theme instead. The 1990 series also happened to be the last series I watched.

Yes the 90s theme was just so anodyne and a bit American-sounding somehow (probably cos it was reminiscent of Cagney and Lacey). I liked the reworked version of Chicken Man though I guess it wasn’t gritty enough for the 1990s.
JA
james-2001
The 90s Grange Hill theme is one of those things where the people who grew up with it think it's iconic and assosiate it with the show, whereas those who grew up in the 70s and 80s think it's awful. It's like how so many people think the majority of music made after they hit 16 is terrible, and the stuff from when they were growing up was the golden era.
MA
Matt7924
The original group did a good job of keeping most people in until the end of series 4/series 5. With Duane and pogo’s year group, a lot of it was replaced after one or two series because they weren’t gelling well, so characters like Tracy (Amanda Mealing) and Micheal Green (Benny’s brother) left after one or two series, to be replaced with characters like Stewpot and Claire.

There were a lot of pupils in Zammo’s year, and a lot of them left with no mention, or no on-screen departure. The worst group was Gonch’s however, who had characters like Hollo and Jane Bishop leave with no explanation.

Of course, the teachers were even worse. From the top of my mind, I can only think of three teachers who had an on-screen departure as such, these being Mr Mitchell, Mr King and Mr Bronson. Some were mentioned in the first episode of the next series (most of the reasons given was ‘moved to another area) like Miss Mooney, Mr Hopwood, Mr Smart and Mr Baxter.

Some teachers just vanished though, like Miss Summers, Miss Peterson, Miss Thomas, Mr McGuffy, Miss Washington, Mr Kennedy, Mr Scott, Miss Partridge and Ms Reagan.


I think it was mentioned that Miss Washington had left, I seem to remember one character mentioning it. But all the others did just vanish and I was surprised about Mr "Scuffy" McGuffy not being mentioned.
MA
Matt7924
The original group did a good job of keeping most people in until the end of series 4/series 5. With Duane and pogo’s year group, a lot of it was replaced after one or two series because they weren’t gelling well, so characters like Tracy (Amanda Mealing) and Micheal Green (Benny’s brother) left after one or two series, to be replaced with characters like Stewpot and Claire.

There were a lot of pupils in Zammo’s year, and a lot of them left with no mention, or no on-screen departure. The worst group was Gonch’s however, who had characters like Hollo and Jane Bishop leave with no explanation.

Of course, the teachers were even worse. From the top of my mind, I can only think of three teachers who had an on-screen departure as such, these being Mr Mitchell, Mr King and Mr Bronson. Some were mentioned in the first episode of the next series (most of the reasons given was ‘moved to another area) like Miss Mooney, Mr Hopwood, Mr Smart and Mr Baxter.

Some teachers just vanished though, like Miss Summers, Miss Peterson, Miss Thomas, Mr McGuffy, Miss Washington, Mr Kennedy, Mr Scott, Miss Partridge and Ms Reagan.


I think it was mentioned that Miss Washington had left, I seem to remember one character mentioning it. But all the others did just vanish and I was surprised about Mr "Scruffy" McGuffy not being mentioned.
TV
iloveTV1
The original group did a good job of keeping most people in until the end of series 4/series 5. With Duane and pogo’s year group, a lot of it was replaced after one or two series because they weren’t gelling well, so characters like Tracy (Amanda Mealing) and Micheal Green (Benny’s brother) left after one or two series, to be replaced with characters like Stewpot and Claire.

There were a lot of pupils in Zammo’s year, and a lot of them left with no mention, or no on-screen departure. The worst group was Gonch’s however, who had characters like Hollo and Jane Bishop leave with no explanation.

Of course, the teachers were even worse. From the top of my mind, I can only think of three teachers who had an on-screen departure as such, these being Mr Mitchell, Mr King and Mr Bronson. Some were mentioned in the first episode of the next series (most of the reasons given was ‘moved to another area) like Miss Mooney, Mr Hopwood, Mr Smart and Mr Baxter.

Some teachers just vanished though, like Miss Summers, Miss Peterson, Miss Thomas, Mr McGuffy, Miss Washington, Mr Kennedy, Mr Scott, Miss Partridge and Ms Reagan.


I think it was mentioned that Miss Washington had left, I seem to remember one character mentioning it. But all the others did just vanish and I was surprised about Mr "Scuffy" McGuffy not being mentioned.


Yes I remember now, it was episode 15 or 16 of series 9 though.

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